Infection and response Flashcards
What is a pathogen?
Microorganisms that cause infectious disease.
What is a communicable disease?
Illnesses that can be spread from person to person
List two ways that pathogens can be spread
• Through the air / Airborne
• Contaminated food and water
• Direct Contact
List two ways we can prevent pathogens from spreading:
• Hygiene - Washing hands, Cleaning cooking items
• Kill the vector
• Vaccinations / Immunisation
• Isolation / quarantine
• Condoms / Safe sex
What is a vector?
An organism that carries a pathogen
True or false : Communicable diseases can affect animals and plants
True
Why do bacteria make us feel ill?
Once inside the human body, bacteria reproduce very rapidly. They produce toxins that damage tissues and make us feel ill
How do viruses reproduce?
Viruses cannot reproduce by themselves they can only reproduce inside a host cell.
What harmful chemicals do bacteria produce?
Toxins
What do toxins do to the body?
They damage tissues and make you feel ill.
Measles and HIV are two examples of ___ diseases
Viral
Can viruses be killed by antibiotics?
No
List two symptoms of measles
• Red rash
• Fever
How is measles spread?
Measles is spread in droplets through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
State the first symptom of HIV
A flu-like illness
How does HIV affect a person’s immune system?
The virus attacks the cells of the immune system and over time, the immune system becomes severely damaged. Eventually, the immune system becomes too badly damaged and cannot fight off other infections that others could easily deal with.
What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?
HIV is the virus that attacks a patient’s immune system until it cannot fight off other infections. When the immune system is at this highly damaged stage, the patient is now described as having AIDS.
Give two ways that HIV is spread:
• Unprotected sex
• Sharing infected needles
Salmonella and Gonorrhoea are two examples of ________ diseases
Bacterial
True or False: Bacteria can be killed by antibiotics
True
What is the main cause of salmonella ?
Ingesting infected food.
List two symptoms of salmonella:
• Fever
• Abdominal cramps
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
Gonorrhoea is an example of a ___
Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD)
List two symptoms of Gonorrhoea
• Thick yellow / green discharge from the penis or vagina
• Pain when urinating
Which antibiotics previously treated gonorrhoea easily?
Penicillin